The government is reportedly sending unnecessary tax reminders to electric vehicle (EV) owners who do not pay vehicle excise duty (VED) despite being exempt from the tax due to their zero-emission status.

Every year, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sends letters to drivers notifying them of their VED responsibilities and directing them to the government website.

However, EV owners are not required to pay VED and so the letters are considered a waste of taxpayer money, with an estimated cost of around £450,000 per year, according to research conducted by EVCables.com.

The DVLA has disputed the £450,000 figure, stating that the cost of sending out these letters is considerably lower.

A DVLA spokesperson told ELN: “We issue vehicle tax reminders to all keepers as it is a legal requirement to license a vehicle regardless of whether any duty is payable.

“This regular contact ensures the information we hold on our records is accurate which helps police should they need to trace or contact the keeper. It also helps aid safety recalls.”